Net Neutrality and Digital Media Distribution: Status Quo and Perspectives (Update 2023)

The chapter focuses on technology-induced changes in media distribution in Internet-based structures. The point of reference is the so-called “net neutrality,” a technical paradigm and regulatory convention for nondiscriminatory data transport on the Internet. Net neutrality is commonly seen as a condition for content diversity, low barriers to entry, and relatively low costs on both the provider and demand sides of the Internet. With the increasing availability and popularity of bandwidth-intensive content and services on the Internet, distribution and disposition conflicts are crystallizing over access to and distribution of (predominantly) multimedia offerings. The data-intensive offerings, in particular of (multi)media service providers, are prompting a discussion about the social significance of and structural dependencies between the telecommunications industry as gatekeeper to the infrastructure and the immense variety of providers of journalistic and other high-profile offerings on the Internet. After all, it is new financing and value creation models of infrastructure operators that challenge the strategic sales management of the multimedia and technology industry and thus give rise to discussion about the sociopolitical relevance of a discrimination-free Internet and the financeability of network expansion in the direction of nationwide and affordable broadband access.